3 Takeaways from Bills' Week 7 Loss vs. Patriots

The Buffalo Bills came into Week 7 as heavy favorites against the New England Patriots and left Gillette Stadium with a stunning loss.

The Bills appeared to have found a victory when quarterback Josh Allen scrambled for a one-yard touchdown with less than two minutes remaining. However, Mac Jones and the Patriots marched down the field to steal it away.

It was a disastrous all-around game by the Bills, who were out-coached, out-played and outlasted by a New England squad that appeared rudderless a week ago.

Buffalo falls to 4-3 with the loss and its status as an AFC contender appears very much in doubt. Here are our biggest takeaways from the Bills 29-25 loss to the Patriots.

Another Slow Offensive Start Dooms Buffalo

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Bills WR Stefon Diggs fails to haul in a pass against New England

For the third straight week, Josh Allen and the Buffalo offense got off to a slow start. Allen threw an interception on the Bills' first possession, the offense generated only 122 yards in the first half, and Buffalo faced a 13-3 deficit at the break.

Over its past three games, Buffalo has scored seven, zero and three points in the first half. New England is a familiar opponent, but its defense has not been spectacular since losing both Christian Gonzalez and Matthew Judon to injuries.

A week ago, the Bills were able to survive against the New York Giants thanks to some timely second-half offense and perhaps a no-call on Buffalo's final defensive stand. The Bills weren't as fortunate this time around.

Slow starts are becoming a serious problem for Buffalo. Yes, Allen and offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey deserve some credit for finding ways to adjust in-game—they did score 22 points in the second half, after all—but will the defense struggling, the Bills need all the points they can get.

If the Bills hope to get back on track against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week, Dorsey must find a way to script a better start.

Defensive Injuries May Be Too Much to Overcome

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Bills DT Ed Oliver

Here's why Buffalo's offensive inconsistencies are such a big issue right now. With several key injuries on defense, the Bills simply aren't capable of leaning on that side of the ball.

Tre'Davious White, Matt Milano and DaQuan Jones are all on injured reserve. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver was inactive with a knee injury, and Von Miller still doesn't appear to be at 100 percent following last season's torn ACL.

New England came into Sunday averaging just 12 points and 283 yards per game. The Patriots proceeded to rack up 364 yards against Buffalo while scoring more than double their season average.

If the Bills cannot contain the Patriots, they're going to have a very difficult time against teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles before the Week 13 bye.

Defense has become a problem for Buffalo, and there isn't a clear solution in sight. General manager Brandon Beane could try working the phone lines ahead of the October 31 trade deadline, but with just $1.5 million in cap space, it's hard to envision the Bills landing a player who can truly make an impact.

Missing the Playoffs Is Now a Real Possibility

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Bills QB Josh Allen

The biggest takeaway from Buffalo's latest loss is that the Bills aren't playing like a Super Bowl contender. Those teams typically play terrific complementary football. With the defense banged-up and the offense out of sync, the Bills doing the opposite.

"Bills defense couldn't make stops all day. But this is another L that falls directly on the shoulders of an offense that is supposed to be picking up an injury-riddled defense," Nate Geary of WGR 550 posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Bills fans now must face the realization that Buffalo could miss the playoffs entirely. There is a large collection of potential wild-card contenders in the AFC, including the Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans (yes, really).

Buffalo may need to win the AFC East to get in, and with a 1-2 record in the division, that could now be difficult. A brutal post-bye schedule certainly doesn't help matters.

After the break in Week 13, the Bills will visit the Kansas City Chiefs, host the Dallas Cowboys, visit the Chargers, host the Patriots and visit the Miami Dolphins. If the Bills don't find answers on both sides of the ball quickly they'll be fighting for their playoff lives in every game over the final month.

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*Cap information via Spotrac.